My space-by-space guide to avoiding organizing mistakes

This is it: the moment you’re finally going to organize your home the way you’ve always dreamed. After all, how complicated can it be, really? You just have to straighten up a bit and find a place for everything…right?

Here’s the thing – organizing is easier said than done.

If you aren’t careful, you can make some major organizing mistakes that will make your life harder in the long run rather than easier. The good news it that it only takes a few small habit changes to conquer common organizing mistakes and create a space that you love! We know that organizing improves your life, and you deserve to reap the benefits of a well-organized home.

Read on for my space-by-space guide to avoiding some of the most common organizing mistakes.

Organizing mistakes you’re making in your kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and should be a space where you can breathe and recharge, not feel stressed. Avoiding a few key mistakes allows you to cultivate that space.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in clients’ kitchens is that they overcrowd their cupboards, drawers, and even their counters. This quickly leads to day-to-day frustration as everything is constantly in the way, as well as the mental overwhelm that excessive clutter brings.

If you find yourself fighting with your space every time you unload the dishwasher or are looking for a specific tool, it might be time to re-evaluate what you keep in your kitchen. Over the years, you can easily accumulate unnecessary duplicates of items, whether they’re gifted, the result of combining households with your partner, or just something you picked up on a whim. Think about it  – do you really need two can openers? Decluttering unnecessary spare items will help you quickly regain space.

Additionally, I often see that people aren’t taking full advantage of their vertical space.  Whether under the sink or in cabinets and cupboards, it’s important to utilize all of the space you have. For example, adding shelf risers gives you a whole new level of storage for easier organization.

Organizing mistakes you’re making in your bathroom

I’ve found that bathrooms can be one of the quickest places in the house to acquire clutter. The first culprit? Expired products. How often have you hung on to something, planning to squeeze out that last drop later – but later never comes? Or taken a better look at a product you’ve been using regularly only to discover that it expired months ago?

If you aren’t intentionally paying attention to the products you’re keeping around, set a reminder to do so once a month. Going through them to check expiration dates will take 15 minutes max, and you’ll take better care of both your skin and your space.

The bathroom is another area where I often see people fail to pay attention to their vertical space. Bathrooms can be pretty cramped, especially if you live in the city, but often there’s extra space you’re not using – you just need to look up. Adding a stackable organizer under the sink is a quick and easy way to create extra bathroom storage in no time!

The final bathroom mistake I frequently see is that clients aren’t grouping like items together. Having everything scattered throughout your bathroom makes everything unnecessarily chaotic. By keeping like items together – makeup, skincare, shampoos, etc. – and having designated zones, you won’t ever have to wonder where something has ended up. It makes life instantly more efficient, and helps cut down on squabbles if you share a bathroom.

Organizing mistakes you’re making in your closet

It’s a common refrain from many of my clients: closets can feel like a nightmare. If you aren’t careful, they quickly become the dumping ground for anything that you want to keep out of sight – which becomes a major pain when you finally decide to bite the bullet and organize.

First things first – if you’re not regularly decluttering, you’re going to run into trouble. That’s right: not just when you’re reorganizing. Regularly. Otherwise, it’s far too easy for clutter to pile up. As you add items to your wardrobe, make sure you’re parting ways with some, too.

The next mistake is one that I see all the time: using plastic hangers. Don’t get me wrong, I get it – we all have a million plastic hangers laying around that have accumulated over the years, and it’s easy to just keep them in rotation. But allow me to let you in on a little secret: velvet hangers will change your life.

Not only are they super aesthetically pleasing, but they take up less room in your closet, giving you extra space back…and who doesn’t want a little extra closet space?! The velvet material also acts as a non-slip solution, keeping your clothes in place, so you don’t have to deal with things slipping and sliding and eventually falling off. Trust me, once you switch to velvet hangers, you’ll never go back. 

Last, but certainly not least, this one’s going to sound familiar – but if you’re not maximizing your vertical shelf space, you’re seriously missing out on optimal closet storage. Why waste all that space? Add stackable storage cubes and watch how much easier your life becomes.

Organizing mistakes you’re making in your pantry

We all live busy lives, and the pantry can quickly become a grab-and-go spot, whether you’re hastily throwing dinner together after a long day or rummaging around for a protein bar on your way out the door in the morning. Having a well-organized pantry will make your life so much easier – and have you seen how aesthetically pleasing an organized pantry is?

If your pantry isn’t working for you right now, you probably haven’t been considering your daily workflow when designating zones to your pantry. Think about your family’s routines – who accesses what, and when? How can you reorganize your pantry in such a way that it’s conducive to those rhythms? When a space is organized with the life of its users in mind, it becomes instantly more efficient.

Does your pantry always feel cluttered? There’s a good chance you haven’t been paying close enough attention to your food’s expiration dates. If you aren’t proactive, it’s easy to forget about different items you’ve bought and never finished – or never even used at all. And not only do those things take up space, let’s be honest – the thought of hanging on to expired food is pretty gross, and eventually pretty risky. Keep your space organized and your family healthy by regularly checking the expiration dates on the items in your pantry and tossing anything that isn’t fresh – or using up the things that are starting to cut it close.

Lastly, if you’re struggling with your pantry organization, you might not be setting grocery boundaries. Do you know what you’re going to buy at the store each week, or do you impulse shop, aimlessly tossing items in the cart as you go? There’s nothing wrong with picking up a few things that catch your eye, but when you don’t have a grocery plan going in, it’s easy to overbuy and end up with a cluttered pantry. I always recommend taking the time to sit down with your partner or roommate once a week to plan out upcoming meals, along with what you need to buy to make that plan happen. Not only does it lead to a more organized pantry, but it cuts down on stress throughout the week because you don’t have to figure out dinner at the last minute.

Did any of these mistakes sound familiar? We all make organizing mistakes – but when you take the time to understand your weak points and figure out solutions, you can tackle your problems head on.

Cultivating an organized home doesn’t have to be complicated. It just takes a little time and determination to create a space you love.

Ready to start your organizing journey? Join my Facebook group to learn from the mistakes of women just like you and get encouragement, motivation, and practical tips. We can’t wait to see you there!

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